Credit

Caption

California Alligator Lizard, Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata, with regenerating tail. The tail breaks off easily, sometimes deliberately as a defensive tactic. The tail will writhe on the ground for several minutes after detaching. It will grow back but usually not as perfectly as the original. Photographed on Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California. This subspecies is found from Humbolt County south to Ventura County and several of the Channel Islands.